Hand To Hand
by Gemtail
Summary: Ruby and Oscar practice some hand to hand combat.


**Ruby refining her hand to hand skills with the only teacher available... Oscar.  
**

* * *

Ruby dodged a punch nervously. She tried feebly to hit Oscar back. Ozpin decided to sit this match out today and let Oscar get used to fighting on his own without taking control of his body. Some of his muscle memory was already passing onto Oscar but he was also still not up to par. Not as much as he should be anyway. Ozpin let out a sigh. Ruby was definitely a long way from fighting without her weapon. At this rate, Oscar will surpass everyone else in no time but, then again, it helps when you have the knowledge of an older soul in your head.

 _She's far too nervous, Oscar. At this rate, we'll never make any progress._ Ozpin said.

"Ozpin says relax." Oscar told her.

 _Just tell her. You don't need to say that I have said anything._ Ozpin said.

"I don't know if I can do this. Ah!" Ruby yelped, dodging another punch.

"I didn't think I could do this either but here I am." Oscar said, easily dodging another feeble punch from Ruby.

"Yeah well in a way, you've done this before... a lot." Ruby said.

"Well, you're not wrong." Oscar said, blocking a punch.

Ruby was flustered. She used to be scared of fighting her sister because Yang's punches really hurt but here she was fighting a boy... a really cute boy. She swallowed hard when he took his shirt off earlier because it was hot out. Ruby was fascinated by Oscar, the fact that Ozpin's soul was combined with his drew her to him even more. You would think that the thought of a boy having an old man's soul fused with his would be a turn off. But not for her. She was even more fascinated... which made her really shy, especially since they were fighting. Another hit and this time, it connected with her shoulder. It knocked her back.

"Keep a firm stance. Loosen up, I'm not going to bite." Oscar said.

 _I might!_ Ruby thought to herself before punching him. It grazed him but she at least made some form of contact with his skin that wasn't a block. She then blocked a hit and tried punching him again only for it to be caught. It was a small improvement but not significant enough. Ozpin internally cringed while they continued to just dodge and catch hits with Oscar landing most of his.

 _At this rate, we'll get nowhere. We need to urge her a bit more. Don't all out insult her but I need you to get her motivated._ Ozpin said.

Oscar threw another punch and she dodged again.

"Well at least you're good at dodging but when are you going to actually hit me?" Oscar asked.

"I'm trying my best." She said.

"Your best is not good enough!" Oscar said, landing a punch on her shoulder.

"I can't." She said.

"Yes you can! You need to! You have to!" Oscar said, catching another punch.

 _She needs to believe in herself. Has there ever been a time that she didn't have her weapon but needed to defend herself? Have her think of_ that. Ozpin said.

"What if there comes a time when you don't have your weapon? What then? Stop dodging and fight me!" Oscar said, landing another hit.

Ruby's memory flashed back to when she had to fight Mercury... if you would even call it a fight. She was helpless... and because of that, Penny had to die. Suddenly, Ruby dodged one of Oscar's punches and hit him square in the chest. This caught him by surprise when she got faster and kneed him in the side. Ozpin was also alarmed. What just happened? She then punched him again but he blocked it. It still hurt though and suddenly, in a flash of red, she was behind him. He quickly dodged and jumped out of the way but she kept up with him, a flurry of red and rose petals. Oscar was shocked that she was landing hits. He was starting to panic and Ruby didn't look very stable. Ozpin knew he needed to intervene and quickly took over. He blocked one of Ruby's punches before quickly throwing her off balance and tripping her up. She was lying on the grass, flat on her back, breathing heavily, her silver eyes glowing slightly.

"That is quite enough, Miss Rose. But you did great. Using your semblance was a good touch. I think we both deserve a break." Ozpin said before letting Oscar take back over his own body.

Tears suddenly fell from Ruby's eyes. Oscar and Ozpin both became worried.

"Ruby, are you alright?" Oscar asked.

"It's just... Penny." She said.

Oscar tried to recall and then an image of a girl with orange hair and a big pink bow popped up into his head. She was an unusual girl but she was a wonderful fighter... and she was a robot, one of Atlas' recent creations. He then recalled the fight between her and Pyrrah. Ruby had just gotten into the arena by the time she got torn into pieces. This alarmed Oscar and he felt sympathetic towards Ruby.

"It wasn't your fault." Oscar said, sitting down next to her.

"But if I had Crescent Rose... or if I had maybe practiced my hand to hand skills, I could've stopped it. If I could have fought Mercury, maybe things would be different." She sobbed.

 _I suspected we had hit a nerve. Do your best to comfort her. It wasn't her fault. It's in the past now._ Ozpin said.

"Ruby, it happened. We have too much to worry about now to worry about the past. There was nothing you could have done at the time but, now is your chance to refine your skills and make sure it never happens again. We both will." Oscar said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She nodded and sat up next to him. He offered her a drink from his water bottle and she took it, drinking a good portion of the water. If she wasn't so tired and depressed over Penny, she would have been a little flustered over sharing a water bottle with her crush. Ruby then stretched. Oscar noticed her skirt hiking up quite a bit as she did so... is that part of her skirt or underwear?

 _Don't be rude!_ Ozpin said.

 _Sorry... I couldn't help it._ Oscar said to him.

 _I have been your age many times. I know it's rough and I won't discourage your attraction towards Miss Rose. Just keep in mind that we have bigger things to worry about than what's up her skirt._ Ozpin said.

 _Well... do you like her, too?_ Oscar asked.

 _I have liked many women in my lives. I'm sure, if you think back, you can remember them. I've had several wives and several children._ He said.

 _That still doesn't answer my question._ Oscar said.

 _We are slowly fusing together, Oscar. I will like the same things you do because your soul and mine will become one. I am becoming part of you. So yes... I do like her, too. I must admit... it's been a long time. Two lives at least. It's actually quite inconvenient for us to feel this way right now._ He said.

 _Isn't that a little weird? Considering that you're pretty old._ Oscar asked.

 _It is, yes. But, with as many women I had loved in my life, I can only tell you that you're better to not reject these feelings. Especially mutual ones. If there is a potential for happiness, never reject the chance to have it. But, no matter what happens, in this time of great need, we are her teacher first. We can be something more later._ He said.

 _So what was it like for you?_ Oscar asked.

 _At this point, you really don't have to ask. When I fully become part of you, it won't seem nearly as weird as it does now. You will still be you._ Ozpin said.

So Oscar thought about it. Ozpin wasn't kidding about his past wives. So many of them... had to be fifty at least but there was definitely more than that. The first one was, of course, just a normal romance but, the rest of them in other lives were all weird and unique but, the majority of those women stayed at his side until the end. Oscar felt his own heart ache as Ozpin's memories, thoughts, and feelings became his own. He loved each and every one of them. Some of them died in his arms of old age or injury. Other's were with him at his death bed before he passed onto his next life. A few of them just didn't work out but only about ten. But, he also died a lot on the battlefield, without being able to even say goodbye. He looked at Ruby.

 _If possible, let's defeat Salem and maybe... maybe Ruby will be the last that we'll have. I just hope we no longer have this curse._ Ozpin said to him.

Oscar didn't like the thought of potentially having to go to another life and doing all that over again. Two lives since his last wife... the thought of going on in another life without her broke him enough to go on without love for awhile but she wasn't the first to make him feel that way. The most he's gone without wives was for about five lifetimes. So many families and lives, he could barely keep up with all of the memories in his head. He looked at Ruby whom still looked upset.

"Hey, you're a strong girl, Ruby. I know we'll make it through this time." He said.

"What makes you so sure?" She asked.

"Because, in all my lives, I've never met anyone quite like you." He said truthfully.

She smiled, a slight blush on her cheeks.

 _She obviously likes us, too. Just don't rush into anything._ Ozpin said.

"I just really want things to go back to normal." She said.

"Not just normal, better." Oscar said.

"Yeah... better." She agreed.

Oscar stood up.

"Break's over. Shall we resume?" He asked, offering her his hand.

She smiled and took his hand.

"I'm not sure if I could do that again." Ruby said.

"You did it once, you can definitely do it again. I'll help you every step of the way. I promise." Oscar said, giving her a reassuring smile.

She smiled back and took on a proper fighting stance.

* * *

Two weeks later and Ruby was already hitting him with a flurry of punches. Her semblance combined with hand to hand combat made her very effective in battle. Oscar could barely keep up with her. They were almost on equal ground. Oscar smiled and tried landing a hit only to miss. Ruby then smiled and knocked him off balance but, he ended up falling towards her.

"Whoa!" He said before falling on top of her.

Ruby fell backwards and they both toppled to the ground. Oscar fell, his face planted right on her chest.

 _"Oh my... I suggest you get off of her as soon as possible."_ Ozpin said.

Oscar pushed himself up and grew flustered when he saw where exactly he had fallen but Ruby was rubbing her head and didn't notice where he landed. Oscar was relieved that she didn't notice.

"Are you alright?" He asked, still hanging over her.

Ruby looked up at him and blushed.

"Um... Yeah." She said, flustered.

 _Oscar! Don't be rude! Get off!_ Ozpin said.

Oscar quickly got off of her.

"I am so sorry about that!" He said, feeling his face flush.

"It's alright. I should have paid attention where you would fall before tripping you." Ruby said, still blushing but seeming slightly disappointed.

"How does someone make their enemy fall on them?" Oscar asked.

Ruby blushed even harder.

 _Why do I have a feeling that she might have done that deliberately?_ Ozpin asked.

Oscar snorted at that remark.

"What?" Ruby asked, fidgeting.

"Unless you wanted me to fall on you." He chuckled.

"Ummm... I gotta go to the bathroom!" She said before bolting back into the house.

 _Aha! So she did do it on purpose._ Ozpin said.

"I'm starting to like this." Oscar said, staring after her.

 _Please focus._ Ozpin said, internally facepalming.

* * *

 **And that's it for this. I wanted to make a small drabble about these two.**


End file.
